


A Secret Two Can Keep

by HannaM



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-15 06:30:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13607562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannaM/pseuds/HannaM
Summary: Prince Einion, traveling the world in search of adventure, goes to great lengths to discover the Curse of Loir, a cursed princess who has been locked away from the world her entire life.Only Prince Einion isn't exactly Prince Einion. And the Curse of Loir might just prefer it that way.





	A Secret Two Can Keep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [polkadot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/polkadot/gifts).



There were three princesses of Loir, but no one living had ever seen the third and lived to tell the tale, or so the stories went.  
  
The eldest, Princess Brigitta, was well-known across the continent for her wit and beauty, a tremendous flirt who had only recently allowed herself to be married off to a plain, earnest younger son. Her younger sister, Princess Ilona, was more beautiful still, with a charitable heart that led her to do all sorts of good deeds that made her the most beloved royal in all of Loir (and some neighboring provinces).  
  
But no one knew if the youngest was beautiful, hideous, or merely plain, as she had been hidden away shortly after her birth: a not-so-secret shame. It was said that she lived under a fearsome curse laid by a fairy who the king had spurned in his youth, but the exact details were shrouded in mystery. Even her name was unknown, which had led the people to refer to her simply as the Curse of Loir.

Some speculated she could kill with a single look, others that her touch was poison, both suggested by the untimely passing of the Queen. Others thought she merely brought bad fortune upon those unlucky enough to encounter her (as some must: even a cursed princess surely required attendants) or that her only curse was an appearance so vile that it shamed the royal family.  
  
Still, everyone seemed to agree that no one was supposed to see or touch the princess, on pain of death.  
  
And if that were true, then it was certainly true that no one but Eirlys had ever been held at knifepoint by said princess. Which was rather thrilling.  
  
"Who are you? What do you think you're doing, climbing in the window of my tower in the middle of the night?"  
  
This much Eirlys could confirm: even spitting mad, the Princess was far from hideous.  
  
"I was curious," Eirlys said mildly, glancing down at the knife still pressed against her throat. "I wanted to see if I could."  
  
The Princess let out something like a snort. "Congratulations. What did you think you'd do next, take advantage of me?"  
  
Eirlys started to shrug, then thought better of it as the Princess's gloved hand tightened on her shoulder. "Actually, I thought I'd ask your name."  
  
After a moment of narrow-eyed suspicion, the Princess lowered her knife. "Julia."  
  
"Julia." Eirlys smiled. "How nice to meet you, Princess Julia."  
  
"You still haven't told me who you are." Julia's eyes flicked over Eirlys's less-than-spotless uniform. "A soldier? Some mercenary for hire? Or just a common perverse thief?"  
  
"I'm anything but common, thank you very much," Eirlys retorted.  
  
The Princess snorted again. "Do you have a name, oh-so-uncommon perverse thief?"  
  
Eirlys laughed, leaning against the stone wall. "Einion. Prince Einion." The lie slipped as easily off her tongue the thousandth time as it had the first.

"Prince Einion." That made Julia scowl for some reason. "I've heard of you."

"Really?" Eirlys could hardly disguise her glee. "Filthy stories, I hope!"

"You enjoy being notorious." It was not a question.

"Being famous for one's good deeds takes a lot of hard work. Being famous for one's escapades is much more fun." Eirlys grinned. "Also makes introductions go by that much faster. But what about you?"

There was that suspicious glare again. "What about me?"

"Well, apart from being cursed and slightly violent upon first acquaintance, what should I know about you, Princess Julia? Even stuck up in this tower you must find some way to occupy your days."

"You're not going to seduce me," Julia said flatly.

Eirlys made a face at the bluntness of the statement. "You do cut to the chase, don't you? Besides, you haven't given me the chance."

"You know I'm cursed. If you lay a hand on me you'll die, or wish you had. So why did you bother coming here?"

 _A note of frustration,_ Eirlys observed. _Understandable._

"As I said before, I was curious." She paused, gauging the likelihood that Julia would raise that knife again. "Thought you might appreciate some company, too. And if you seemed too terribly miserable, I thought I might offer to help you escape."

Julia's eyes (grey, Eirlys noted) widened, before she quickly made her face unimpressed once more. "That's not a funny joke."

"It's not the sort of joke I'd make," Eirlys said gently. "I hate seeing girls cloistered up without any hope of freedom."

The Princess stiffened. "What would you know about it?"

"More than you'd think."

"Bedding women doesn't make you an expert on them," Julia muttered.

"I didn't say that." Eirlys smiled. "I bed women because I like women. I like women because I get to know them."

"By climbing in through their windows at night?"

"There was a guard outside during the day," Eirlys pointed out. "And it's neither dignified nor stealthy to stand outside yelling for permission. But I can leave if you'd prefer."

She turned to the window, starting to swing her leg over the side before-

"Stop that! You'll... you'll hurt yourself."

"There's ivy. I can manage." Eirlys shrugged. "I'm not going to mount a daring rescue of someone who'd prefer to stay where she is, undisturbed."

"I didn't say that."

She couldn't quite read Julia's expression, but she seemed notably less hostile, so Eirlys swung her leg back inside the tower and grinned.

"I hate it in here," Julia said flatly. "I'm tired of this... all of this. But you have to promise not to make any advances on me."

Eirlys blinked, a bit taken aback. "Of course, if that is what you wish. I'm not a cad."

The Princess at least had the good grace to look slight embarrassed. "Well," she said, a touch defensively, "you can't expect people to immediately believe the best of you. Not with your reputation."

That got Eirlys's hackles up. "If people have been telling you I don't take no for an answer, they're lying. _That's_ not the sort of story I want told about me."

A wry, inexplicable smile crossed Julia's face briefly. "You have a strange idea of infamous. I thought men prided themselves on their conquests."

"I," Eirlys said firmly, "am not like any other man you'll ever meet."

She laughed, a touch of bitterness in her face. "I'll never love a man. I'll... never love anyone, most likely."

Eirlys started to raise her hand, moving without thinking to touch Julia's shoulder, which was a mistake. Julia leapt backwards, swinging the knife in a wide arc, which managed not to do worse than nick Eirlys's skin, but as for her shirt, well...

Julia dropped the knife with a clatter, mouth agape as she stared at Eirlys's revealed bosom.

"You... you're..."

"I _was_ going to tell you," Eirlys sighed, tugging up the fabric as best as she could and attempting to twist it around to still provide some amount of cover. "Eventually. But apart from proving my sincerity as far as caring about the plight of other women, I didn't think it was all that relevant to start with..."

It was then that she noticed that Julia was covering her mouth, her cheeks suspiciously pink. Her eyes traveled the whole length of Eirlys's body, wide with newfound understanding. _  
_

That made Eirlys smile.

"Of course it's relevant!" Julia burst out, not quite meeting Eirlys's eyes. "I... I can touch women without cursing them."

"Oh?" This was new information. "So I can seduce you now?"

"Did I say that?" For the first time Julia actually smiled at Eirlys: a shy smile, but a smile nonetheless. "You lied to me, didn't you? You're not really Prince Einion."

"Well, yes and no," Eirlys said brightly. "I _am_ the Prince Einion you've heard of. I've gone by that name for a fair amount of time. But no, the real Prince Einion has never left his home country, and is perfectly happy attending balls and tea parties in my stead."

Julia frowned. "Hasn't anyone noticed there are two Prince Einions? Why would he allow you to do such a thing?"

"He's my brother." Eirlys smiled again. "I took his name and in exchange, he took mine."

"Which is?"

"Princess Eirlys. At your service, my lady." She bowed, with a flourish.

"Eirlys..." Julia said softly. "I like that name better than Einion."

Eirlys grinned, stepping a little closer. "I hope you like more than that."

One of Julia's gloved hands brushed against Eirlys's hip. "I've wondered what it's like to be kissed. Truly kissed. You must be good at it by now."

_Once again, extremely blunt. But also rather charming._

"I'd certainly like to think so." Eirlys raised a hand to brush back a stray strand of Julia's hair from her face, pausing just before making contact. "May I?"

A pause, then Julia smiled shyly again. "Yes."

She cupped Julia's cheek first, gently, to prove to them both that this was safe. Julia shuddered at the touch of her fingers, leaning into her hand.

Their first kiss was gentle too, warm and tender.

Julia pulled back first, almost as though she thought she should, as her expression suggested she was hardly displeased.

And then, with a slight pout: "Is that all?"

Eirlys very nearly laughed. "Well, it doesn't have to be."

Julia smiled, wrapping her arms around Eirlys's neck and pulling her flush against her body. "Good."

Their second kiss was very different, hungry and passionate, with Julia making soft noises every time Eirlys's hands brushed against bare skin.

"Will you try to break the curse?" Julia whispered, her voice low and husky.

"I'll succeed." Eirlys kissed her neck and Julia gasped.

"You don't have to." Julia nuzzled against her face.

Eirlys laughed, between little kisses "Surely... you'd rather not have to worry... about cursing anyone... ever again."

"I don't want men to touch me," Julia said simply. "I want _you_ to."

"I can't object to that." Eirlys kissed her again. "Still, death seems a harsh penalty."

"So once you've broken the curse, protect me from them. Teach me how to pretend to be a boy like you," Julia whispered in her ear, voice low and husky. "Let me see the world by your side."

"That.." Eirlys whispered back, hands finding the laces of Julia's corset " ...can be arranged."


End file.
